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When I saw the headline pertaining to the Oval Office last Friday I couldn’t quite believe it. Surely this was just classic clickbait – an overdramatised headline designed to draw even the most uninterested reader. Sadly, it was worse than it looked. After a few minutes of reading one of the most shocking transcripts of a diplomatic meeting that I have ever read, I simply could not go on. It was one of very few times that a political event has left me truly speechless. There is not the space nor the time to truly encapsulate the disaster that took place on the 28th February, and thus I can only give a whistle stop tour of the burning wreck that President Trump left in his wake.
For anyone who might be unaware, President Trump hosted a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday 28thFebruary with President Zelenskyy; a meeting which was designed to show the world the strength of the US-Ukraine partnership. What began as a productive meeting quickly deteriorated into what will be remembered as one of the worst diplomatic discussions of all time.
Even before Zelenskyy had stepped foot in the Oval Office, the signs of tension started to show. Upon the arrival of President Zelenskyy, President Trump remarked on the fact that the Ukrainian leader was not wearing a suit, stating ‘you’re all dressed up today’ before gesturing to his attire and then to the media pool. While this may have been a spot of banter between the two political leaders, it wasn’t the end of the discussion, with a reporter commenting on Zelenskyy’s attire whilst in the Oval Office, accusing him of ‘disrespecting the occasion’ for not being in a suit. The comments surrounding Zelenskyy’s attire sparked backlash on social media as many pointed out that Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire who has regularly made speeches from the Oval Office, does not wear a suit either and yet no one has criticised this. When questioned on the matter a few days later, Trump’s Press Secretary answered the comments by deflecting to Musk’s suit during the State of the Union – hardly a robust defence.
Unfortunately, ‘suitgate’ was the least of the world’s worries in the aftermath of the meeting. Vice President JD Vance made sure to make a name for himself (in the worst way possible) by issuing his two cents on American assistance to Ukraine. JD Vance certainly did not shy away from joining the debate between the two Presidents, being quick to remark that Zelenskyy was ungrateful for US support, stating that he hadn’t said ‘thank you once this entire meeting’. A quick Google search shows that President Zelenskyy has been incredibly grateful for US support and has said so on a number of occasions, including in January of this year. Strike number one for VP Vance. Strike two came when Zelenskyy questioned Vance as to whether he had been to Ukraine to see what they were dealing with on the frontlines to which the Vice President responded ‘I’ve actually watched and seen the stories’. Congratulations Vice President Vance you, like much of the rest of the world, have read the news. What you have not done however, is visit the country, seen the war-torn cities in the flesh, or led a country through a war.
To his credit, JD Vance managed to take the heat off his embarrassing diplomatic display in the Oval Office. This was done rather masterfully by putting together a performance that was equally, if not more embarrassing, in a Fox News interview about four days later – strike three. For someone so hot on diplomacy, JD Vance was able to offend Ukraine, France, and the UK in rather swift succession.
‘Three strikes and you’re out’ is a common catchphrase across various arenas in society, albeit not in the political sphere (unfortunately). While I may be ‘out’ on JD Vance, he is certainly still ‘in’ with President Trump, leaving many wondering what collection of national embarrassments await. Trump did get one thing right however – it certainly did make for good TV if you enjoy your politics Real Housewives style.
Edited by Isabel Whitburn
Image: Drburtoni, 2025 // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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